'Share it with the world for generations to come': Celebrating Canada 150 in song
There are lots of cultural projects happening this year to mark Canada 150.
One of them pays tribute to some of the great songwriters of the country, and has strong Island connections.
True North: The Canadian Songbook is the brainchild of singer Eleanor McCain, originally from New Brunswick.
She put together a 32-song double album with the help of orchestras and musicians from across the country, including such iconic songs as Four Strong Winds, Helpless, A Case Of You and Gene MacLellan's Snowbird.
"I was working a lot with symphonies in Canada in pops concerts, and I thought this would be really exciting to take iconic Canadian music and re-imagine it for orchestra," McCain told Mainstreet P.E.I.'s Angela Walker.
She also thought it would be good to showcase orchestras from across the country, and that blossomed into the theme for the whole collection.
Pan-Canadian theme
"The pan-Canadian concept just started to apply to several things in the project, from orchestras to the guest artists, making sure the songwriters came from across the country," she said. "Even the arrangers who re-imagined the music."
She started compiling a list of songs, and realized just how strong the material was.
"I don't know that we champion it the way we should maybe, or maybe look at it as a body of work, so to speak, that we have this rich history," McCain said. "I think it has stood the test of time, so I think it's really important to just carry it on, and share it with the world for generations to come."
In addition to including Snowbird, written on P.E.I., McCain worked with The College of Piping from Summerside.
"James MacHattie, who is the director there, he and three of his fellow pipers came and recorded with us. They came over to Nova Scotia when I was there, and we recorded them. They are fantastic. I know there's a strong tradition in P.E.I., and the college has an amazing program, so it was really important to showcase that. They played on a great track called Rhythm Of My Heart."
McCain said she would have done 150 songs if possible. There's also a companion book of Canadian photographs, and a documentary film on the project on the way.
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